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Biblical Calendation: Reckoning the New Year

WLC believes, based on the Exodus 34:22 mandate,
that
the Biblical New Year is reckoned by the New Moon closest to the
vernal equinox.

(1) What does the Bible say or indicate about the New Year?

In
Exodus 12, Yahuwah instructs Moses:

"This month shall be unto you the beginning of months:
it shall be the first month of the year to you." (Exodus 12:2, KJV)

In
context, we know that this was in or near spring1, but how was Moses
to demarcate "the first month" in future years? How was he to
know when spring began? Was he to base the New Year on vegetation (i.e.
barley), or was he to look to the heavens? Genesis holds the answer:

"And Elohim said, 'Let lights come to be in the expanse
of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs
and appointed times, and for days and years, and let them be for lights
in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.' And it came to be
so." (Genesis 1:14-15, ISR2)

Genesis
1:14 states in plain language that the heavenly bodies are to be for
"signs and appointed times, and for days and years."
There is no mention of vegetation in this passage. Nowhere in Scripture
is it stated that the beginning of the year is to be determined by examining
barley. To suggest that the New Year hinges on the ripeness of the
barley, when Scripture incontrovertibly declares that the heavenly bodies are
to determine years, is to add to Yahuwah's Word.

You shall not add to the word that I command you nor take
from it that you may keep the commandments of Yahuwah your Eloah that I command
you. (See Deuteronomy 4:2.)

Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall
not add to it nor take away from it. (See Deuteronomy 12:32.)

Every word of Eloah is pure: He is a shield unto them that
put their trust in Him. Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and
thou be found a liar. (See Proverbs 30:5-6.)

While
popular tradition teaches that the ripeness of Palestinian barley is the beacon
for the New Year, this supposition cannot be supported by even one passage of
Scripture. (For more on why the supposed "barely law" cannot
rightfully be the determinant for the New Year, refer to the section below,
entitled "Insurmountable Issues with Using the 'Barley Harvest Law of
Moses.'")

Now
that we have established with certainty that the heavenly bodies are to
determine years, the question is "What is it that takes place in the
heavens to let us know that Winter is over and a New Year can
begin?" A very important clue can be found in Exodus 34.

"And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the
firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end
[H8622]." (Exodus 34:22, KJV)

While
it is not immediately apparent from the KJV, the word translated here as
"end" [Strong's H8622] is referring to the fall equinox (also called
the Autumnal equinox) in the middle of the year. This is confirmed
by the fact that the Feast of Ingathering, also referred to as the "Feast
of Tabernacles" and the "Feast of Booths," takes place in fall,
in the Seventh Month (Leviticus 23:34) - in the middle of the year, not at the end of the
year.

The
Encyclopedia Judaica agrees with this interpretation.

"As stated, the four seasons in the Jewish year are
called tekufot [plural of tekufah; H8622]. More accurately, it is the
beginning of each of the four seasons – according to the common view, the mean
beginning – that is named tekufah (literally "circuit," from קוף related to נקף , "to go
round"), the tekufah of Nisan denoting the mean sun at the vernal
equinoctial point, that of Tammuz denoting it at the summer solstitial point,
that of Tishri, at the autumnal equinoctial point, and that of Tevet, at the
winter solstitial point." (Encyclopedia Judaica, Article
"Calendar", p.356)

The
translations below offer a more accurate rendering of Exodus 34:22.

"And thou shalt keep to me the feast of weeks, the
beginning of wheat-harvest; and the feast of ingathering in the middle of
the year." (Exodus 34:22, Brenton's English Septuagint)

"And a feast of weeks thou dost observe for thyself;
first-fruits of wheat-harvest; and the feast of in-gathering, at the
revolution of the year." (Exodus 34:22, YLT)

"And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the
first-fruits of wheat-harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the turn of
the year." (Exodus 34:22, Darby)

Thus
far, we have established the following:

The Feast of Ingathering revolves
around the fall harvest in the Seventh Month (Leviticus 23:34).

The Feast of Ingathering is
associated with the fall equinox in the middle of the year.

It
is only logical to conclude based on the above that the beginning of the
year then is connected to the spring equinox, which takes place about six
months before and after the fall equinox. If the fall feasts are
connected to the fall equinox in the middle of the year, then the spring feasts
must be connected to the spring equinox at the beginning of the year.

It is very important to note here that the Feast of
Ingathering is directly associated
with the fall equinox; therefore, in order to fulfill the Biblical mandate, the
Feast of Ingathering must be heldon or very near the fall equinox.

(1a) Is this
in agreement with reckoning the New Year by the first New Moon after the vernal equinox?

No, not always.
Sometimes, when using this method of reckoning, the Feast of Ingathering
will be held on or very near the fall equinox.
Sometimes, however, the Feast of Ingathering will fall up to 5 weeks after the fall equinox! (This would actually be the case in 2015, if
this method were used.)

(1b) Is this
in agreement with reckoning the New Year by the New Moon closest to the vernal equinox?

Yes, always.
Using this method, the Feast of Ingathering will always fall on or near the fall equinox. The earliest the Feast will fall is about
7-10 days before the fall equinox. The
latest the Feast will fall is about 3 weeks after the fall equinox. (This is actually a liberal estimation; we
have not found a single case where the Feast would fall an entire 3 weeks after
the equinox, when using this method.)

Conclusion:

The only definitive anchor point given in Scripture for
identifying the proper method of reckoning the New Year is the fall
equinox. Exodus 34:22 states that the Feast of Ingathering (in the
seventh lunar month) is to be held at the tekufah,which in context is the fall equinox. It is not possible to consistently keep this
mandate when always reckoning the New Year by the first New Moon after
the vernal equinox. If we reckon the New
Year by the New Moon nearest the vernal equinox, however, the Biblical
mandate will be consistently met.
But we cannot stop here...

(2) What do 1st century historians tell us about the New
Year?

Philo, a Hellenistic Jewish
Philosopher who lived before, during, and after our Saviour's earthly ministry,
recorded many of the details relating to Biblical calendation in the 1st
century. In the below quotations, Philo
confirms that the Feast of Unleavened Bread is tied to the vernal equinox and
that the Feast of Ingathering is tied to the fall equinox.

"At the first season which name he gives to the springtime and its equinox, he
ordained that what is called the feast of unleavened bread should be kept for
seven days, all of which he declared should be honored equally in the ritual
assigned to them. For he ordered ten sacrifices to be offered each day as at
the new moons, whole-burnt offerings amounting to seventy in all apart from the
sin offerings. He considered, that is, that
the seven days of the feast bore the same relation to the equinox which falls
in the seventh month as the new moon does to the month." (Philo, Special Laws I
(181-182) [Colson's
Translation]) [Note: Philo, here, says that the fall equinox occurs in
the seventh month, just as Scripture indicates - Ex.34:22.]

"To seven he gives the chief feasts prolonged for many
days, two feasts, that is for the two
equinoxes, each lasting seven days, the first in the spring to celebrate the ripeness of the
sown crops, the second in the autumn for the ingathering of all the tree-fruits..."(Philo, The
Decalogue (161) [Colson's Translation])

"...for it was the
general festival of the Jews at the time of the autumnal equinox, during which
it is the custom of the Jews to live in tents." (Philo, Flaccus XIV (116) [Yonge's Translation]) [Note: This quote is referring to the Feast of Ingathering, also called the "Feast of
Tabernacles" or the "Feast of Booths," in which the Israelites
would "dwell in booths seven days."
See Lev.23:39-42.]

Flavius
Josephus, a 1st century Romano-Jewish scholar, sheds even more light on the
issue by confirming our understanding from another angle. Josephus comments on the position of the sun in relation to the stars at the time of the
Passover.

"In the month of
Xanthicus, which is by us called Nisan, and is the beginning of our year, on the fourteenth day of the lunar month, when the sun is in Aries,
(for in this month it was that we were delivered from bondage under the
Egyptians), the law ordained that we should every year slay that sacrifice
which I before told you we killed when we came out of Egypt, and which was
called the Passover..."(Flavius Josephus,
Antiquities of the Jews, Book III, Chapter 10, paragraph 5, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/josephus/complete.ii.iv.x.html)

Before commenting on this
intriguing quote by Josephus, it is imperative that we understand the
following: Because of the axial
precession, the progression of the sun across
the celestial equator in relation to the stars is not the same as what it was in the days of Josephus. In the 1st century, the vernal equinox would
have taken place just as the sun was entering the sign of Aries (the Ram). Today, however, the equinox occurs in the
sign of Pisces.

Above: Equinox, 31 AD - Note that Aries is in the immediate path of the sun
following the equinox.

Above: Equinox,
2013 AD - Note that Aries, today, is no longer in the sun's immediate path following
the equinox. Aries has apparently
drifted because of the axial precession.

Although we cannot use the same
constellation today that they did in the 1st century to determine the beginning
of the year, we can determine with a fair degree of certainty how the New Year
was reckoned in relation to the equinox.

Let us look again at Josephus'
quote:

"In the month of
Xanthicus, which is by us called Nisan, and is the beginning of our
year, on the fourteenth day of the lunar month, when the sun is in Aries,
(for in this month it was that we were delivered from bondage under the
Egyptians), the law ordained that we should every year slay that sacrifice
which I before told you we killed when we came out of Egypt, and which was
called the Passover..."(Flavius Josephus,
Antiquities of the Jews, Book III, Chapter 10, paragraph 5, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/josephus/complete.ii.iv.x.html)

Here, Josephus plainly states that Passover
was observed when the sun was in the sign of Aries.

(2a) Is Josephus' testimony consistent with always reckoning
the first New Moon after the vernal
equinox as the beginning of the year?

No. If, in the 1st
century, they had demanded that the first New Moon after the vernal equinox was
always the beginning of the year, Passover would sometime be observed when the
sun was in the sign of Taurus (well past the sign of Aries). Sometimes, this method would place Passover
in Aries; sometimes it would not.

Above: 31
AD - Reckoning the first New Moon after the
vernal equinox as the beginning of the year would have placed Passover (the
14th day of the lunar month) in the sign of Taurus, well beyond Aries. This does not agree with Josephus' testimony that
the sun should be in Aries (1st century) on Passover. (Note: The translucent
orb immediately below the sun is not
the moon; it is the sun's glare, as emulated by the astronomy software.)

(2b) Is Josephus' testimony consistent with reckoning the New
Moon nearest the vernal equinox as
the beginning of the year?

Yes. If, in the 1st
century, the New Moon nearest the
vernal equinox was reckoned as the beginning of the year, Passover would have consistently
fallen in close proximity to Aries.
Using this method would be much more consistent with the testimony of
Josephus.

Above: 31
AD - Reckoning the New Moon nearest the
vernal equinox as the beginning of the year would have placed Passover (the
14th day of the lunar month) in the sign of Aries, in agreement with Josephus'
testimony.

Now let us examine a remarkable passage from Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History. Eusebius was a Roman historian who lived from
about 260 AD to 340 AD. In the following
passage, he is quoting from the Canons
of Anatolius on the Paschal (Passover) Festival.

"And this is not an opinion of our own; but it
was known to the Jews of old, even before Christ, and was carefully observed by
them. This may be learned from what is said by Philo, Josephus, and Musæus; and not only by them, but also by
those yet more ancient, the two Agathobuli, surnamed 'Masters,' and the famous Aristobulus,
who was chosen among the seventy interpreters of the sacred and divine Hebrew
Scriptures by Ptolemy Philadelphus and his father, and who also dedicated his
exegetical books on the law of Moses to the same kings. These writers,
explaining questions in regard to the Exodus, say that all alike should sacrifice the passover offerings after the
vernal equinox, in the middle of the first month. But this occurs while
the sun is passing through the first segment of the solar, or as some of them
have styled it, the zodiacal circle. Aristobulus adds that it is necessary for
the feast of the passover, that not
only the sun should pass through the equinoctial segment, but the moon also.
For as there are two equinoctial segments, the vernal and the autumnal,
directly opposite each other, and as
the day of the passover was appointed on the fourteenth of the month, beginning
with the evening, the moon will hold a position diametrically opposite the sun,
as may be seen in full moons; and the sun will be in the segment of the vernal
equinox, and of necessity the moon in that of the autumnal [equinox]."(Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, Book 7,
Chapter 32, http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250107.htm)

From this quote, we can deduce the
following:

Passover cannot fall before the
equinox:

". . . all alike should sacrifice the passover
offerings after the vernal equinox, in the middle of the first month."

The full moon must occur after the
equinox:

"Aristobulus adds that it is necessary for the
feast of the passover, that not only the sun should pass through the
equinoctial segment, but the moon also. For as there are two equinoctial
segments, the vernal and the autumnal, directly opposite each other, and as
the day of the passover was appointed on the fourteenth of the month, beginning
with the evening, the moon will hold a position diametrically opposite the sun,
as may be seen in full moons; and the sun will be in the segment of the vernal
equinox, and of necessity the moon in that of the autumnal [equinox]."

At a glance, these may look like
two entirely new criteria. Examining
these quotations closely, though, reveals that this is actually just a more
precise way of stating what we have already learned up to this point, namely
that it is the New Moon closest to the vernal equinox that is to begin the
year. The primary focus here should be
on the full moon, which is inexorably tied to the Passover and the Feast of
Unleavened Bread. The full moon is the
fulcrum of the lunar month; it marks the
middle of the lunar cycle. If the full
moon (the middle of the lunar cycle)
falls even shortly before the vernal equinox, then the next New Moon would actually be the closest to the equinox. It
is not as simple as counting the number of days between each New Moon Day and
the equinox, because days are not
necessarily a precise indicator of the middle of the lunar cycle. That is to say that the true middle of the
lunar month (i.e. the full moon) does not always coincide with the 14th day of
the month; neither does it always coincide with the 15th day of the month. That said, we will sometimes be in error if
we simply count the number of days between each New Moon Day and the equinox. Making
sure that both Passover (the 14th day of the lunar month) and the full moon
fall after the equinox is the real test. Below is an illustration of exactly what
Aristobulus was referring to when he stated,

"Aristobulus adds that it is necessary for the
feast of the passover, that not only the sun should pass through the
equinoctial segment, but the moon also. For as there are two equinoctial
segments, the vernal and the autumnal, directly opposite each other, and as
the day of the passover was appointed on the fourteenth of the month, beginning
with the evening, the moon will hold a position diametrically opposite the sun,
as may be seen in full moons; and the sun will be in the segment of the vernal
equinox, and of necessity the moon in that of the autumnal [equinox]."

Above: This
is an illustration of what happens at the first full moon after the
equinox. The green circle represents the
counter-clockwise path of the sun and moon.
Note that both the sun and the moon have crossed the celestial equator
(represented by the red line) and are positioned diametrically opposite one
another at the "equinoctial points," the sun at the vernal equinox,
and the moon at the autumnal equinox, exactly as described Aristobulus,
according to Eusebius.

This is most remarkable! If we reckon the New Year by the New Moon closest to the vernal equinox, which
rightly interpreted will place the Passover and the full moon after the
equinox, we will be in harmony with the calendation details recorded by
Eusebius. (It is worth noting here that
Aristobulus' statement about the necessity of the vernal equinox preceding the
full moon of the first month would make little sense if the New Moon after the equinox was always to begin
the year. For if the New Moon after the vernal equinox always began
the year, the full moon of the first month would naturally fall weeks after the
equinox. The fact that Aristobulus
thought it necessary to comment on this criteria suggests that the full moon of
the first month would sometimes fall close to the vernal equinox.)

Note: In addition to being consistent with Eusebius' commentary on
Biblical calendation principles, ensuring that Passover always falls after the vernal
equinox is also very logical, in that it will guarantee that only one Passover
is observed within each solar year (vernal equinox to vernal equinox).

(2c) Is the historical record in agreement with reckoning the New
Year by the first New Moon after the
vernal equinox?

No. Reckoning
the New Year by the first New Moon after
the vernal equinox:

...will sometimes
place the Feast of Ingathering well past the fall equinox, which is not in
harmony with Philo's testimony (or Scripture).

...will sometimes allow the fall equinox to occur in the sixth month, which is not in
harmony with Philo's testimony (or Scripture).

...would
sometimes have placed the sun in the sign of Pisces (well past the sign of
Aries) at the time of the Passover in the first century, which is not in
harmony with Josephus' testimony.

(2d) Is the historical record in agreement with reckoning the New
Year by the New Moon closest to the
vernal equinox?

Yes. Reckoning the New
Year by the New Moon closest to the
vernal equinox (which rightly interpreted
will always place the full moon and the Passover after the equinox) is
consistent with the testimony of Philo, Josephus, and Eusebius.

Conclusion:

The testimony of early historians
indicates that it was the New Moon closest
to the vernal equinox that began the year (which
rightly interpreted will always place the full moon and the Passover after the
equinox). One cannot maintain
harmony with the testimonies of Philo and Josephus, while adhering to the first
New Moon after the equinox
methodology of reckoning the New Year.

(3) Scripture indicates that the sun, moon, and stars are
to be used for timekeeping.
(Gen.1:14-16)

(3a) When reckoning the New Year by the first New Moon after the vernal equinox, are all three
taken into account (sun, moon, & stars)?

No. Josephus'
testimony of how the stars (i.e. the sign of Aries) coincided with Passover in
the first century must be disregarded in order to cling to this method of
reckoning.

(3b) When reckoning the New Year by the New Moon closest to the vernal equinox, are all
three taken into account (sun, moon, & stars)?

Yes. This method is in
harmony with Josephus' testimony of how the stars (i.e. the sign of Aries)
coincided with Passover in the first century.

Note: Although the axial precession has changed the apparent progression of the sun across
the celestial equator in relation to the stars since the days of Josephus, we
can still use the stars in a sense to confirm the beginning of the year. While it might on a rare occasion be possible
for the sun to reach the sign of Aries by Passover, the sun will most often be
in the sign of Pisces on Passover.
Today, the sun will always be
in Pisces when the vernal equinox takes place, and in Virgo when the fall
equinox takes place.

Conclusion:

Reckoning the New Year by the New
Moon closest to the vernal equinox is
consistent with Scripture, in that it takes into account, and is in harmony
with the historical testimony of how the stars (i.e. the constellation of Aries)
coincided with Passover in the first century.

(4a) Is the Metonic Cycle manifested when reckoning the New
Year by the New Moon closest to the
vernal equinox?

Yes. This is proof only of
our Creator's marvelous design. The
establishment of the Metonic Cycle does not prove any particular method of
reckoning, but is worth studying, as it shows us where we are in the grand
scheme of embolismic years. (See Metonic
Cycle Chart.)

(5) There will be two total lunar eclipses (often called
"blood moons") in 2014 and two total lunar eclipses in 2015 (4 in
all; a "tetrad"). Could this
very rare occurrence be a sign pointing Yahuwah's faithful to the correct
method of determining the New Year?

Given the tremendous importance
that Scripture places on the heavenly bodies, it is not unreasonable to
conclude that these eclipses are, in fact, a divine marker, and that there
coinciding with the annual Feasts is not arbitrary.

"He appoints the number of the stars, He gives
names to all of them. Great is our Master and mighty in power, There is no
limit to His understanding." (Psalm 147:4-5, ISR)

"Lift up your eyes on high and see. Who has
created these? He who is bringing out their host by number, He calls them all
by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power – not one
is missing." (Isa.40:26, ISR)

(5a) Will these eclipses coincide with the first day of
Unleavened Bread and the first day of Tabernacles both years when reckoning the
New Year by the first New Moon after the
vernal equinox?

No. They will coincide
only with the Feasts in 2014. The Feasts
in 2015 will fall one month later than the eclipses.

(5b) Will these eclipses coincide with the first day of
Unleavened Bread and the first day of Tabernacles both years when reckoning the
New Year by the New Moon closest to
the vernal equinox?

Yes. They will coincide
with the Feasts in both years (2014 & 2015).

Conclusion:

It would be irresponsible for
Yahuwahs' faithful to disregard the signs taking place in the heavens in these
last days. It is Yahuwah's hand that
upholds and orchestrates everything in the universe. In these closing moments, Yahuwah's faithful
should be especially mindful and observant of all that takes place in the
heavens.

And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and
signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall
be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable
day of the Master come. (See Acts 2:19-20.)

Note: This is not necessarily intended to be evidence in favor of
using the nearest New Moon to the vernal equinox method of reckoning, for there
have been tetrads of lunar eclipses in the recent past (e.g. 1967-1968) that
would not have lined up with the feasts using this reckoning. It is, however, very interesting to note this
phenomenon.

WLC believes, based on the Exodus 34:22 mandate, that
the Biblical New Year is reckoned by the New Moon closest to the
vernal equinox. The historical commentary on the matter only buttresses what was deduced from Scripture alone.

Objections Answered (Click to Expand)

(1) Question/Objection: If the New
Moon nearest the vernal equinox is
the true beacon of the New Year, how can we know in advance which New Moon will be the closest? How could
ancient Israel have possibly known this?

ANSWER:These are very good questions. There is no doubt that the faithful
Israelites had to have known well in advance when the Passover would be
observed. In years when the Passover
fell very close to the vernal equinox (e.g. the day after), the Israelites
living outside of Jerusalem would have had to begin their journey even before
the equinox had taken place. It is not
clear at this time just how the Israelites were able to anticipate when the
vernal equinox would occur in relation to the New Moons - so that they could
declare with certainty the beginning of the year. One thing is
certain, though: the ancient Israelites had an incredible understanding of the heavens. We, today, with all of the available
technology are likely only approaching what would have been common knowledge to
the average Israelite.

Our ignorance, today, is proof of
nothing except the loss of knowledge that comes through rebellion and
disobedience. Our inability to
understand the machinations of the heavens as the ancients did in no way
negates the overwhelming evidence that it is the New Moon nearest the vernal
equinox that begins the Biblical year.

Perhaps, they simply counted 180
days2 from the fall equinox [autumnal equinox] to determine roughly
where the vernal equinox would fall, and then calculated where the New Moons
would fall in relation to that. For
example, if the fall equinox occurred on the first day of the Feast of
Tabernacles (the 15th day of the 7th lunar month), they could have then worked
out the following equation:

180 days =
Approximate number of days from the fall equinox until the vernal equinox

180 days -
15 days (the approximate number of days remaining in the 7th month) = 165 days
remaining until the vernal equinox, on New Moon Day of the 8th month.

165 days - 29.5
(approximate number of days in a lunar month) = 135.5 days remaining until the
vernal equinox, on New Moon Day of the 9th month.

135.5 days
- 29.5 (approximate number of days in a lunar month) = 106 days remaining until
the vernal equinox, on New Moon Day of the 10th month.

106 days -
29.5 (approximate number of days in a lunar month) = 76.5 days remaining until
the vernal equinox, on New Moon Day of the 11th month.

76.5 days -
29.5 (approximate number of days in a lunar month) = 47 days remaining until the
vernal equinox, on New Moon Day of the 12th month.

47 days -
29.5 (approximate number of days in a lunar month) = 17.5 days remaining until
the vernal equinox, on New Moon Day of the following month.

Since 17.5
days is significantly more than 14.77, which is approximately half the number
of days in a lunar month, this will likely be a 13th month, and the next New
Moon Day (which will fall about 12 days after the vernal equinox) will begin
the year.

Note: Once the current position in the 19-year pattern (Metonic Cycle)
has been established with certainty, the number of months in future
years (and consequently the first month of each year) can be known well
in advance.

Doing the math in this fashion
certainly cannot account for their ability to accurately anticipate the
beginning of the year when the vernal equinox fell very close the full moon in
the middle of the lunar month, but, again, their knowledge of the heavens was
irrefutably superior to ours. It bears repeating that our inability to
understand the machinations of the heavens as the ancients did in no way
negates the overwhelming evidence that it is the New Moon nearest the vernal
equinox that begins the Biblical year.

(2) Question/Objection: Philo
states that the "beginning" of the vernal equinox is the first month
of the year. Does this not indicate that
it is the New Moon after the vernal
equinox that begins the year?

"Moses puts down the beginning of the vernal
equinox as the first month of the year, attributing the chief honour, not
as some persons do to the periodical revolutions of the year in regard of time,
but rather to the graces and beauties of nature which it has caused to shine
upon men . . . Accordingly, in this month, about the fourteenth day of the
month, when the orb of the moon is usually about to become full, the public
universal feast of the passover is celebrated . . ." (Philo, On The Life Of Moses II, Section XLI
(222-224), http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/yonge/book25.html)

ANSWER: This is an
excellent question. (WLC originally misinterpreted this commentary in the same way.) At first glance, it
appears that Philo is saying that the first lunar month of the year begins with
the vernal equinox. Philo, here, cannot be
referring to lunar months, though; the lunar cycle pays no attention to when
the equinox occurs, and consequently, the New Moon does not consistently line
up with the vernal equinox. Philo, here,
is apparently referring to solar months,
not lunar months. A solar month is determined
by the sun's location in the zodiac; the
first solar month begins with the vernal equinox. In Philo's day, the first solar month was
Aries (as noted by Josephus), followed by Taurus, Gemini, etc. The first solar month of each solar year
begins with the vernal equinox.

Later in this passage, Philo goes
on to say "in this month, about the fourteenth day of the month, . . . [the]
feast of the passover is celebrated."
Here Philo is clearly referring to the first lunar month. When viewed
together, we see that Philo is restating what we learned earlier from Josephus:
The Passover (the 14th day of the first lunar month) was observed in the first
solar month (when the sun was in Aries).
This statement says nothing about reckoning the New Year by the first
New Moon after the vernal equinox.

(3) Question/Objection: Philo
states that months are reckoned "from the vernal equinox." Does this not indicate that it is the New
Moon after the vernal equinox that
begins the year?

"(Scripture) thinks it proper to reckon the
cycle of months from the vernal equinox. Moreover, (this month) is
said to be the ‘first’ and the ‘beginning’ by synonymy, since these (terms) are
explained by each other, for it is said to be the first both in order and in
power; similarly that time which proceeds from the vernal equinox also
appears (as) the beginning both in order and in power, in the same way as
the head (is the beginning) of a living creature. And thus those
who are learned in astronomy have given this name to the beforementioned
time. For they call the Ram the head of the zodiac since in it the sun
appears to produce the vernal equinox." (Philo, Supplement II, Questions
and Answers on Exodus, translated by Ralph Marcus, Ph.D., Harvard University
Press, Cambridge, MA:, 1953, pp. 2-3.)

ANSWER: Here, again, Philo is not referring to the cycle of lunar months, but rather to the cycle of solar months, which as we discussed
in the previous "question/objection," commences at the vernal
equinox. Further proof of this is found
later in this passage, when Philo makes reference to Aries, "the Ram the
head of the zodiac," which in the first century, was the first month of
the solar year. Again, this statement
says nothing about reckoning the New Year by the first New Moon after the
vernal equinox.

(4) Question/Objection: Reckoning
the New Year by the first New Moon after the vernal equinox would not allow
enough time for the barley to become ripe ("Abib") before the day of
First Fruits.

ANSWER: Much could be said on this point, but we need not
spend an exuberant amount of time addressing this in order to expose the
fallacy. We need only look at what
Scripture actually says about "Abib" and the First Fruits offering.

"And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the
barley was in the ear [Abib],
and the flax was bolled." (Exodus 9:31)

"This day came ye out in the month Abib." (Exodus 13:4)

"Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread:
(thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time
appointed of the month Abib;
for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me
empty." (Exodus 23:15)

"The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep.
Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest
out from Egypt." (Exodus 34:18)

And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits
unto Yahuwah, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn [Abib] dried
by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears. (See Leviticus 2:14.)

Observe the
month of Abib, and keep the passover unto Yahuwah thy Elohim: for in
the month of Abib Yahuwah thy Elohim brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.
(See Deuteronomy 16:1.)

Abib does not mean "ripe," nor does it mean 16 days3
from being ripe. It simply means young or green. This, really, is the
crux of the matter. When Moses recorded
the Abib state of the barley (Exodus
9:31), he was simply stating that the barley had sprung up; it was green and
growing. That is why it was destroyed,
while the wheat and the rie (which had not yet sprung up) were not (Exodus
9:32). When Scripture refers to the
"month of Abib," it is simply referring to the month in which the
crops mature, or begin to mature.

The second very important point we
need to address is Yahuwah's instructions regarding the First Fruits
offering.

And Yahuwah spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the
children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I
give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your
harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before Yahuwah, to
be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. And
ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of
the first year for a burnt offering unto Yahuwah. And the meat offering thereof
shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by
fire unto Yahuwah for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be
of wine, the fourth part of an hin. And
ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the
selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your Elohim: it
shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings."
(See Leviticus 23:9-14.)

Simply put, there is no mention
here of "mature" barley. The
command is simply to bring a sheaf of first fruits to the priest to wave on the
appointed day, and not to eat of the fields until this had been done.

As responsible Bible students and
seekers of truth, we cannot ignore the weight of evidence identifying the New
Moon closest to the vernal equinox as the beginning of the year in favor of the
Karaite Jewish tradition, and a presumed understanding of the ripening crops in
ancient Palestine.

(5) Question/Objection: I was
always taught that the New Year could not be declared until the Palestinian
barely was ripe. Why do you not take the
ripeness of the barley into consideration?

ANSWER:There are many insuperable issues with the
supposition that the New Year revolves exclusively around the ripeness of
Palestinian barley:

Nowhere in Scripture is there any mention of a
"barley harvest law."

Genesis 1:14 declares that the heavenly bodies
are "for seasons, and for days, and years."
While we can logically conclude that the barley would need to be ripe for
the day of firstfruits, and we can contextually verify that the barley was
nearing maturity when the hail plagued Egypt (Ex.9:22-31), nowhere is Scripture does
it say that vegetation (i.e. barley) is to be for "for seasons, and
for days, and years."

The concept of "years" is introduced
pre-sin, pre-flood, and pre-curse (Genesis 1:14), at least 1,500 years before
the flood (2,500 years before the Exodus). It does not seem
reasonable to presume that the antediluvian world was dependent upon
barley for determining the New Year. It does make sense, however, to
conclude that they were dependent upon the heavenly bodies, Yahuwah's
ordained calendar, for determining "seasons, . . . days, and
years."

Noah was able to accurately keep track of time
during the flood (without planting barley).

The children of Israel were able to keep track of
time during their wilderness experience (without planting
barley). Numbers 9:1-14 explains how the
children of Israel kept the Passover in the wilderness.

To suggest that the ripeness of Palestinian
barley is the only way to determine the beginning of the year is to
suggest one of two things: (1) Those living outside of the
geographic region of Palestine are entirely dependent upon internet
technology (for receiving witness to the state of Palestinian Barley,
which is itself incredibly trivial, given the nature of today's
agricultural practices); (2) Yahuwah's faithful must rely on tradition and
man's version of history which declares the acceptable parallel of Gregorian
dates in which the "latter rains" would have fallen two thousand
plus years ago. In a sense, this implies that we need the Gregorian
calendar to determine the beginning of the New Year, for without it, we
could not know the satisfactory dates for beginning the New Year. It
is not acceptable to suggest that Yahuwah's faithful must rely on man's
guesswork or the papal Gregorian calendar for reckoning the Biblical New
Year. Nor is it acceptable to suggest that the faithful must rely on
internet technology and modern agricultural practices in the middle east.

Adhering to the supposed "barley harvest
law" demands that we believe that the faithful prior to Israel's
entrance into Canaan (including the children of Israel in the wilderness)
could not begin their year correctly, or that the method for reckoning the
beginning of the year changed once Israel had entered the promised
land. This is an absurd proposition. Are we to believe
that the faithful, up to this point, calculated the beginning of the year
based upon an assumed ripening date for barley in a land in which they
were not even living? Nowhere in Scripture does it say that
Palestinian barley is to determine the new year. The Bible states in
plain language that years are to be determined by the heavenly
bodies. "And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament
of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs,
and for seasons, and for days, and years." (Genesis 1:14)

1 Exodus
9:31 records that the barley and the flax were nearing maturity when they were
destroyed by the plague of hail. By
this, we know that it was springtime, or nearing springtime.